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You're invited - American Meat makes NYC premiere!

American Meat makes its New York City premiere!

Don't miss it!

Come see the groundbreaking documentary American Meat in New York City this week!

Food Democracy Now! is excited to announce the New York City premiere of American Meat, the new documentary that takes a pro-farmer look at sustainable meat production in America. In the past several decades, factory farms have replaced small family farmers producing the majority of meat in the U.S. The great news is a vibrant community of small farmers have resisted that trend, leading a revolution in meat production that values raising livestock in humane and environmentally friendly ways.

If you care about where your food comes from, American Meat is a must see documentary that's having its theatrical release April 12th - April 18th at the Cinema Village Theater in NYC. They have lined up an impressive array of speakers for 7 panel discussions throughout the screenings.

Farmers on Innovation: Farmers are at the forefront of changing our food system, and they are doing it through business, writing, and advocacy. Joel Salatin, Paul Willis, Chris Ely, and Chris Arnold represent a powerful force in the meat industry; each is involved in innovative methods of farming whether by actually working in the fields or helping those farmers reach markets. This discussion will bring together pioneers in sustainable meat farming in order to discuss successes, challenges, and the path forward.

Beginning Farmers: It seems that rooftop farms are opening in cities across America, and people of all walks of life are changing careers in order to work the land. But how do farmers get a business started, and keep it running successfully? This panel will bring together farmers of various stages in their careers and lives to discuss the challenges and surprises involved in getting a farming business off the ground.

Food Systems: Our food does not just appear in a restaurant or a supermarket; it has to get there, somehow. How is our current food system doing us a disservice, and what can we do to improve upon it? In this panel, professionals in the food industry as well as advocates for food justice will share experiences working toward a better food system.

Community Supported Agriculture: Most likely, you or someone you know is a member of a CSA, a Community Supported Agriculture program. These programs are having a tremendous impact on our food system. What are they doing to support a sustainable meat industry, and what can we learn from the already-significant achievements of CSA programs? What does it take to start up a CSA and make it successful? This panel features special guest Richard Morris, who left a corporate career to work for Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farms and is currently starting up his own farming business, and is featured in American Meat.

Chefs & Butchers: Any New Yorker will tell you that one of the best things about the city is its restaurants. And in those restaurants, you will not only find beautifully-prepared steaks and perfectly-seared hamburgers, but you’ll also see local farmers like Michael Yezzi dragging entire pigs into a kitchen--because many chefs and restaurateurs are devoted to supporting local farms that practice sustainable, humane methods of raising animals. This is a chance to hear leading chefs and restaurateurs talk about how they made their visions into reality, and how meat can be an art form.

Markets: Our food doesn’t just come to us--we have to go out and buy it, or grow it. Greenmarket and other urban outdoor markets like the New Amsterdam Market are crucial outlets for area farmers to reach customers, and they are by no means easy to create or maintain. How do markets play into our changing national food system, what challenges are they facing (and the New Amsterdam Market in particular has found itself in a difficult situation that we’ll hear about), and what can we do to support them even more?

The Making of American Meat: Making a documentary film is a collaborative process that starts with a question or an idea, and eventually becomes an edited, full-length narrative. In this case, American Meat began with Graham Meriwether’s interest in Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. But the was American Meat was distributed is also a story worthy of documentation: rather than applying to any film festivals, the film premiered at the farm where it was filmed. From there, the film was brought directly to young farmers and students across the country as part of the Young Farmer Screening Series. In this panel, the people involved in producing American Meat discuss its evolution from an idea into a nationwide phenomenon, and the moments of difficulty, surprise, and learning that happened along the way.

The story shifts to the burgeoning sustainable, local-food movement of farmers, chefs and everyday folks who might just change everything about the way meat reaches the American table. Hear a confinement farmer discuss his journey to raising free-range pigs.

American Meat has been called “journalism as art.”

“American Meat offers a thoughtful, engaging look at livestock production in the U.S. Rather than engaging in polarizing diatribe, the documentary respects the personhood of both factory-type farmers and their pasture-based counterparts. At the end of the film, both groups can sit down and have a conversation, which is exactly what creator Graham Meriwether would like to see happen.

— JOEL SALATIN, POLYFACE FARM, SWOOPE, VA.

“American Meat is a very positive, forward-thinking look at how to improve meat production in our nation. And by improve, I don’t mean more meat, faster. I mean producing better meat, healthier meat, and tastier meat, while restoring our small towns, economy and the dignity of America’s farmers.”

“American Meat is journalism as art. Graham Meriwether manages to hold a mirror to the business of protein production while still reflecting our common humanity. It takes extraordinary discipline and courage to let people tell their own stories, which is where the film really shines. Those voices are then assembled into an invitation to cavort on higher ground, with dignity for the eaters and the eaten. Masterful.”